


Dreams In Color

by saintjoanofsnark



Series: Dreams In Color [1]
Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Branch Needs a Hug, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Poppy obliges, Romance, author still cannot tag, insert witty comment here, look it's just shameless Broppy fluff ok, so does everyone else tbh, with a good dose of hurt/comfort because why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 23:38:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12618140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintjoanofsnark/pseuds/saintjoanofsnark
Summary: "Chef glared at Branch as if this was all his fault.'I can't serve an unhappy Troll on Trollstice!' she cried angrily."An AU where Chef notices Branch's coloring and asks Creek about it. Upon finding out that he's gray because he's unhappy, she gets upset, as she "can't serve an unhappy Troll on Trollstice". Things escalate from there.





	1. The Gray Dilemma

Branch watched, fists clenched, as Chef slammed the door shut before he turned to Poppy. She was still standing in the same spot. When Branch approached her, the devastated look on her face nearly bowled him over.

"Poppy?" he said softly. She glanced over at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears, and tried to smile. It wobbled and she bit her lip, turning her face away once more. Branch could feel his heart shattering inside his chest. Behind him, Poppy's friends were silent. Branch just stood there, unsure of what to do. All of this was new to him; he'd never even been near the Snack Pack this long before.

"Poppy?" he tried again. She looked at him. "I… I'm sorry," he told her. What else was there to say?

"It's not your fault," Poppy said. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. Branch wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her and never let go, but he hesitated. Before he could move, the decision was made for him in the form of eight Hug Time bracelets going off at once. Poppy smiled widely as her friends surged forward as one to surround her. Branch shook his head slightly, but he smiled, too. At least they knew how to comfort her. Suddenly, Poppy was in front of him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her and before he knew it, Branch was being hugged and squeezed by Poppy and her friends. He stiffened at first but gave in when they showed no signs of letting go even after their bracelets closed once more.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," he snapped after a couple more seconds of indulgence. Everyone pulled back, but they were still hovering way too close to one another (and him) with no regards to personal space whatsoever. Also, Poppy was still holding Branch's hand.

"Poppy… you can let go now," he told her.

"Oh, sorry," Poppy blushed and quickly released him before stepping away slightly. His hand felt cold and empty, so Branch crossed his arms, trying to ignore the lonely feeling yawning in his chest as he did so.

"We'll be okay, right, Poppy?" Biggie asked, clutching Mr. Dinkles closer in fear.

"Of course," Poppy answered. "We'll figure something out." She glanced at Branch as she said this and Branch nodded slightly, giving her a smile which she happily returned.

The door flew open with a bang. Behind Branch, everyone shrank back as Chef approached the cage once again. Poppy shifted nervously beside Branch before slipping her hand into his and squeezing. Branch blinked, surprised, but squeezed back. He didn't move.

Chef peered down at the captive Trolls with a frown, as if she was searching for something. When her eyes landed on Branch she smiled. Branch met her gaze squarely, trying to be brave even as he felt ice course through his veins and cold fear pounding in his head.

"Hmm…" Chef leaned down. Branch stood stock-still, frozen in fear, as the rest of the Trolls skittered backwards even more, pressing themselves into the bars as if they were trying to phase right through. Poppy took a step back as well, but she still held tightly onto Branch's hand, grounding him. "You certainly don't look… colorful," Chef remarked. Poppy was holding Branch's hand so tightly now that his fingers were going numb, but he didn't say anything. He merely bit his lip, holding in a whimper that was half pain, half fear.

Chef stood back up and unzipped her pouch. Branch narrowed his eyes as she pulled out a surprised-looking Creek.

"Why isn't this one colorful? Why is he gray?" she demanded, pointing at Branch. Biggie let out a choked sob, and Branch felt Poppy tense. He heard her take a deep breath before shakily stepping forward to stand next to him once again. Branch glanced at her determined face and something warm uncurled in his belly. He faced Chef once more, feeling braver than he had before now that Poppy was by his side.

"Who, Branch?" Creek asked. "He's… well, he's gray because that's what happens when a Troll is unhappy. They lose their color," Creek explained. Chef glared at Branch as if this was all his fault.

"I can't serve an unhappy Troll on Trollstice!" she cried angrily. She stuffed Creek back onto the pouch unceremoniously, ignoring his yelps of protest, and stalked over to the supply closet. She rummaged through for only a few seconds before pulling back triumphantly, clutching a much smaller cage that was obviously meant for only one or two Trolls.

She strode back to the cage, a cruel and slightly insane grin on her face, and Branch could feel panic start to rise. Beside him, Poppy stumbled back, tugging him with her. Chef ignored this as she opened the cage and stuck her hand in, reaching for Branch. Poppy squeaked and lurched away, tripping over her own feet and accidentally yanking her hand out of Branch's. Branch tried to reach for her but Chef's hand closed around him, squeezing him so he couldn't breathe before tossing him into the smaller cage and shutting the door.

"Branch!" he heard Poppy scream. The rest of the Snack Pack yelled too, but Poppy's voice drowned them out. Chef smacked the cage and sent the Trolls reeling.

"Quiet!" she snarled. She held up Branch and leered at the sprawled Trolls. "You should be thankful that I'm letting him live." She brought Branch closer to her face until they were eye-to-eye. "And you should be happy," she purred, turning towards the kitchen door. "Why, you'll be in a place of honor!"

"What do you mean?" Branch snapped, summoning his courage and glaring. Chef shook his prison, sending Branch staggering.

"I suppose I could kill you," Chef mused, shutting the kitchen door with a  _click_  that sent shivers of dread down Branch's spine. "That's always an option. But, I have a better idea for you. The king may need something to remind him of this day, and his first taste of Troll. And  _you_  are a perfect souvenir!" She cackled and whipped out a handkerchief to cover Branch's cage with. He was thrust into darkness, Chef's maniacal laughter ringing in his ears.

* * *

 

Poppy tried to pull Branch back with her, away from Chef's looming hand, but she tripped. Branch's hand jerked out of her own and Poppy was scrambling to grab it again before she even hit the floor. She heard a  _whoosh_  of breath and a stifled gasp as she got to her feet, watching in horror as Chef pulled a struggling Branch away from her. The cage door slammed shut in front of Poppy as she clambered over to it and she threw herself at the bars as if they would burst open at her touch. Icy cold fear surged through Poppy alongside glowing hot rage as she stretched out her arms. If she just reached far enough, maybe she could grab him and pull him back to her side where he belonged, safe from Chef and anything else…

"Branch!" she screamed desperately, feeling tears prick her eyes but ignoring it, hearing her friends yelling behind her but it didn't really register because  _Chef had Branch_ and was walking away with him and  _ **Poppy wasn't with him**_  and she  _had_  to be, she needed to protect him, she  _needed_  him and he wasn't  **safe**  without her!

"Quiet!" Chef barked, and suddenly Poppy was tumbling to the ground, the metal bars singing after the blow from Chef's hand. Poppy shook her head, trying to get her feet under her to stand up, her head spinning from the fall. "You should be thankful I'm letting him live," Chef added, and terror struck Poppy and she froze, a scream bubbling in her throat and tearing at her lips but her mouth was sealed shut and she couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't  _feel_.

Poppy distantly heard Chef say something else and her heart lurched when she heard Branch's voice snap a response, his voice still so brave despite the danger he was in. The door shut with an ominous  _click_  and Poppy sank to her knees, staring without seeing at the spot her Branch had been in just moments before. Poppy's hand ached and throbbed with the absence of Branch's steady presence and Poppy couldn't hold back a sob, not even when she clasped her hands to her mouth.

"Poppy?" a voice next to her said, and for a fleeting moment she let herself believe it was Branch, but something whispered in her mind that it wasn't, that it would never be again. The voice was feminine.

"Yeah…" Poppy said, her voice cracking. She felt hands on her shoulders, circling her and pulling her in for hugs, but she didn't respond.

The door creaked open again and Poppy's head snapped up. Bridget stood framed in the doorway, glancing furtively over her shoulder as she hurried over to the Trolls.

"Bridget?" Poppy asked, surprised. "What are you-"

"I don't have much time," Bridget whispered quickly. She hurried over to the cage and bent down, still glancing over her shoulder. "Chef's going to the Troll Village right now."

"What?!" the Snack Pack exclaimed. Poppy drooped.

"Don't worry, Poppy," Bridget said. "I can't let you guys out now because the guards are gonna be here any second, but I promise that I'll get you and your whole village to safety."

"Why?" Poppy asked, pressing against the bars and peering at Bridget's face. "Why are you risking your life for ours?"

"Because you showed me that true happiness is possible," Bridget responded, smiling. "That's what I felt when I was with the king, wasn't it?" At Poppy's enthusiastic nod and the Snack Pack's murmurs of excitement and cheers, Bridget's grin grew wider. "Thank you. All of you. Even-" she broke off, looking confused.

Reality came crashing back and nearly knocked Poppy over. She had forgotten.  _How_  could she have forgotten him? He was probably terrified, all alone, if he wasn't-

 _No, Poppy_ , she cut herself off fiercely.  _He's alive. You know he is. Chef said she wouldn't kill him._

"-here, too? The gray one, where'd he go? Poppy?" Poppy realized Bridget had been talking and started guiltily. She only caught the last bit, but she understood the gist: Bridget had noticed Branch's absence.

"It was Chef," Satin explained, her voice trembling. Poppy couldn't help but feel a rush of affection for her friends. They didn't know Branch as well as she did, hadn't really even  _liked_  him, but here they were, just as concerned as she was. (Well, maybe not  **as**  concerned as her, but the point still stood.) "She came in here…"

"…and she took him," Chenille finished. "It was awful."

"We don't know where Chef went with him, though," Cooper spoke up.

"But she did say that she wouldn't kill him. Right, guys?" Biggie turned to his friends, lip trembling. Everyone nodded and Suki patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. Fuzzbert hummed and bumped his leg gently.

"What are we going to do now?" Bridget gasped, burying her face in her hands.

"The plan hasn't changed," Poppy said firmly. "Bridget, can you still get us all out of here when the rest of the village gets here?"

"Of course," Bridget responded uneasily, peeking out from between her fingers. "But what about…?"

"Once everyone else is safe, I'll go back for Branch," Poppy said. "I don't quite have a plan yet, but-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Smidge interrupted in her deep voice. "What's this 'I' stuff? Did you think we're just going to let you run off by yourself?" She placed her hands on her hips. Behind her, Cooper, Guy Diamond, DJ, and the twins all nodded, their faces set. Fuzzbert bounced in place and nudged Biggie, who smiled weakly at Poppy. Poppy smiled back, feeling hope blooming in her chest. They'd free the rest of their people and then she'd find Branch.

_And maybe we can show the Bergens that they don't need to eat Trolls to be happy while we're at it…_


	2. Off Color

Apparently, Chef didn't care whether or not her "souvenir" was injured; in fact, by the way she was swinging the cage, Branch could almost swear she  _wanted_  him to get hurt. That was a cheerful thought.

Branch had given up on trying to stand about four hallways ago and was now concentrating on not breaking anything. Another cheerful thought. Poppy would've had something uplifting to say to him, to get his spirits up… His heart clenched painfully at the thought and Branch forced it away.

_Not the priority right now,_  he scolded himself as he slid across the slippery metal floor of the cage. He grabbed the bars and jerked himself to a mostly painless stop. Branch gritted his teeth and held on as the cage swung around with Chef's movements. He wasn't quite sure where they were headed, but he knew he didn't want to go.

Finally, Chef stopped moving. Branch let go of the bars and tried to get to his feet. He nearly toppled over from the dizziness and sat down heavily. As his head cleared, Branch realized that Chef was speaking. He shook himself and pricked his ears, listening hard.

"-important. I must see the king at once!" Chef was saying. Branch frowned. Who was she talking to?

"Yes, Chef," a voice responded meekly.

"Right away, Chef!" a second voice said, stronger than the other but still respectful. There was a loud creaking sound, like the opening of a giant door. Branch recognized the voices as that of Chad and Todd, the two Bergen guards that had been in the Throne Room before when he and Poppy had first found the Snack Pack.  _The door must be the one to the Throne Room,_  Branch thought. He listened carefully as Chef walked forward and heard a slight echo that indicated his hunch had been correct. The Throne Room had been big and fairly empty; Branch remembered that every little noise was amplified and echoed in the vast hall.

"Your Majesty," Chef sang out. Branch toppled over once more with a grunt when Chef bowed; he rolled his eyes at the over-the-top performance. He was more prepared for it when the prison was righted once more, but he still tumbled to the floor.  _Again_. Fuming and muttering to himself, Branch got to his feet (for the hundredth time, he was sure) and brushed himself off.

"Chef? What are you doing here still? I thought you said you were going to find the rest of the Trolls," King Gristle said.

"Oh, I am, Sire," Chef assured.  _If she bows again, I swear…_  Branch thought, glaring in the direction her voice had come from. He wasn't sure what he'd do, but it wouldn't be pretty. "But I'm afraid I've run into a little problem."

"A problem? What do you mean?" The king sounded more annoyed than worried. He gasped suddenly. "Did the Trolls escape?" he asked urgently, sounding concerned.

"No, no, nothing like that, Sire," Chef soothed. "I was just preparing to leave when I recalled seeing something interesting. Specifically," she tore away the handkerchief and Branch flinched, covering his watering eyes against the harsh light.

"What's wrong?" Gristle asked curiously. His voice was much closer than before and Branch jumped. He hadn't heard the king approach. "I don't see anything wrong…"

"Look closely, Sire," Chef said, holding the cage out. Branch squinted, his eyes still teary, and saw Gristle's face just inches from his own.

"Hmm… I don't see anything."

"His coloring," Chef said, annoyance creeping into her tone. Branch held in a snort.

"Oh. Oh! Yes, I get it! He's not colorful!" Branch finally opened his eyes and watched, squinting, as Gristle turned to Chef. She nodded in confirmation. "Why not?" Gristle asked, reaching a finger out to Branch.

_Don't you dare,_  Branch thought as he backed away, baring his teeth. Gristle didn't stop or draw back his finger, so Branch was forced to take drastic measures.

"Ow!" The king squealed, jumping back and bringing his finger to his face. "He… He bit me!" Branch spat on the floor, grimacing. Bergens tasted as good as they smelled, and they didn't smell as nice as Poppy did, that's for sure.

"Show some respect!" Chef snarled, shaking Branch's cage violently. Branch was thrown around inside, hitting the bars painfully. He curled up and put his hands over his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

_This is it_ , he thought.  _This is how I die. Totally worth it. Wish I could say goodbye to Poppy…_

"Wait!" Gristle's voice rang out and Chef stopped, though it was probably more out of surprise than anything else. Branch opened one of his eyes cautiously, trying not to hurl. If it was gonna happen, he wanted to be able to  _aim_.

"Sire?" Chef asked, staring at the king. "I had planned on giving him to you as a souvenir, to remember this day by," Chef explained as Branch sat up, bristling. Neither Bergen noticed him. "But I cannot have such a dangerous creature-"

"'Dangerous'?" Gristle repeated incredulously. "All he did was bite me. Look at him; how is he  _dangerous_? He's no threat to any of us. In fact, I think he's kind of funny." Branch stared at the grinning king, completely floored. He was slightly tempted to see if his hair would reach far enough to strangle the Bergen, but he highly doubted it.

"Why is he not colorful?" Gristle asked Chef. She blinked at him and moved her lips soundlessly. The king frowned and snapped his fingers impatiently. Chef jumped before looking back down at Branch. If he had been less mature than he was, Branch would have stuck his tongue out at her. He didn't, of course. He wasn't a child.

"Ah, yes. That is the problem I told you about earlier. You see, when Trolls become unhappy, they lose their colors. They become gray."

Branch crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Here she was, spouting this off, acting all high and mighty as if she hadn't just asked that no good, turncoat, slimy son of a beetle, Creek.

"What?!" the king exclaimed, scowling. He seemed pretty prone to dramatic mood changes, in Branch's opinion. "I can't serve my people an unhappy Troll!"

"Which is why I am giving him to you, your majesty," Chef said, back to her cool and collected self. "Well,  _was_. But he did just attack you, after all. Oh well. It was only a suggestion," she sighed, shaking her head sadly and turning away. "I thought that you would like something to help you remember your first Trollstice by. It was a silly idea anyway. I mean, who's ever heard of a pet Troll!" She began to walk towards the giant double doors.

"No, hold on!" Gristle cried. Chef stopped, her back still to the king. Branch saw a sly smile cross her face. "T-that's a g-great idea," Gristle panted, coming to a stop next to Chef. "Not only would I have something to remember this day by, but," Gristle puffed out his chest proudly. "I would be the first ever Bergen in history with their very own Troll!"

Branch debated whether or not he could make himself projectile vomit. His stomach still felt sick from the earlier rough treatment, after all, and the look on Gristle's face would be priceless.

"You would make history!" Chef gushed. The king looked very satisfied with this. Branch tried to judge the distance between the king's face and himself. "Here you are, Sire," Chef said, going down on one knee and presenting Branch's cage to the king with a flourish. Branch was suddenly struck by the image of someone walking in on this scene and only just managed to control his hysterics.

The king bounced in place before roughly grabbing the cage, jostling Branch and making him fall over.

"Now, Sire, I must leave you," Chef said, bowing low. "To find the rest of the Trolls. This Trollstice will go down in history, with you as 'The King Who Brought Back Happiness'!"

Chef turned and strode out. Branch watched her go. A sick feeling was rising in his stomach that had nothing to do with his previous flying lessons.

"This is so exciting!" Gristle squealed as he literally skipped out of a smaller side door. He nearly crashed into Bridget, who was holding a broom in one hand and a vacuum in the other. "Out of the way, maid!" Gristle ordered, walking past her regally, his nose in the air. Bridget nodded automatically, her eyes wide. When she met Branch's gaze, she dropped the broom and let out a surprised squeak. Her eyes grew even bigger. Branch was worried they'd pop out of their sockets.

The king turned a corner and Bridget disappeared from view. Branch let out a frustrated breath. He had wanted to tell her about Poppy, to get her to free the rest of the Trolls.  _Too late,_  a voice whispered in Branch's head as the king began climbing up a flight of stairs.

_Too late…_


	3. Lost In The Dark

Poppy didn't know how much time had passed since Bridget had left and the two guards had arrived. While Bridget was gone, Poppy and the rest of the Snack Pack began to make a plan to rescue Branch. However, it was hard to come up with much when there was still a lot that they didn't know; for example, where Branch even  _was_.

Poppy looked up from the group huddle when the door opened. Bridget was standing there, talking to the guards stationed outside the door. Whatever she said to them must have worked because they let her in without comment, shutting the door behind her.

"Bridget!" Poppy said happily, careful to keep her voice low. Bridget approached the Trolls, a worried frown on her face. "What's wrong?" Poppy asked.

"I saw Branch," Bridget whispered. Poppy felt something in her chest loosen up and she wriggled with happiness as her friends celebrated behind her. Poppy felt a bubbly relief rise in her chest and let out a relieved laugh. It didn't last very long before she was biting her lip to keep it from becoming a sob. He was still out there,  _alone_ , and Poppy had the sudden urge to wrench apart the cold, unforgiving metal bars that kept her from her Branch and the need to find him was so strong that she felt unstoppable, invincible, untouchable; like she could storm through this castle and nothing would stop her or dare get in her way.

"Is he okay?" Poppy asked instead, pressing herself against the icy metal of the bars to bring her back to reality. Poppy couldn't remember ever feeling this white-hot rage before, but she wasn't all that upset. As long as it helped her in her mission to save Branch, she honestly didn't care. She just wanted him to be safe.

"He's… alive," Bridget offered. "When I saw him, the king had him."

"The king?" Poppy repeated, her brow furrowing. "Why? What for?"

"I'm not sure," Bridget answered truthfully. "Sorry, Poppy. I wish I knew. But he looked okay. Maybe a bit shaken up, but alright. The king was heading towards his room, I think."

Poppy nodded absently. Branch was alive! Now that Poppy knew this, she could focus on the escape plan without worry clouding her mind.

"Okay, everybody," Poppy said, drawing the attention back to her. "Here's what we're gonna do…"

* * *

 

Branch had figured out their destination when they were halfway there and was not too happy about it. The king's room wasn't exactly where Branch wanted to be right now. He wanted to be with Poppy, even if that meant he would be waiting for his inevitable death by Bergen.

The king was humming to himself, and it was so horribly off-key that Branch was seriously considering tearing off his own ears.

"Here we are!" Gristle announced, flinging open his bedroom door. Branch just raised an eyebrow. Did he expect him to respond? Apparently the answer was no, because the king wasn't even looking at him. Instead, he made his way over to his bed, setting Branch down on the end table there happily before stepping back as if to admire the view. Branch didn't blame the king for wanting to soak in all of Branch's glory, but now was not the time.

The king turned away and wandered over to a bookshelf on the far end of the room. Branch looked around, searching for anything that could help him escape, and spotted the bathroom. A devious thought sprang into existence in his mind and he grinned.

"I have to go to the bathroom!" he called, making the king jump in surprise. He didn't really have to go, but, if the king let him out to do his business, Branch could make a break for it. Even if the king didn't fall for the oldest trick in the book, it would still be fun to drive him crazy.

"Oh. Um…" Gristle stared at Branch, who blinked at him innocently. "I, uh, thought… Right. Can't… can't you hold it?"

" _Hold it_?!" Branch repeated incredulously, "No!" I really have to goooo!" He let a whine slip into his voice and danced in place for added effect. This was way too fun.

"Hold on…" Gristle said, crouching down and searching for something. It was funny at first, but Branch soon began to get bored watching the Bergen crawl around his room. Time to spice things up.

"I really,  _really_  have to go! Right! Now!" Branch called, his tone warning. He shimmied in place convincingly. The king was beginning to panic and Branch snickered. He jumped in place, stopped, held still for a few seconds while letting a smile stretch across his face, then sighed in a satisfied way.

"Never mind!" he said cheerfully.

"No, no!" the king screeched, practically flying across the room and desperately searching Branch's cage for the nonexistent mess. His terror gave way to such a comical picture of bewilderment that Branch could no longer hold in his laughter. He cackled and heaved, trying to breathe unsuccessfully. He hiccuped a few times, which made him start all over again.

"You… you  _tricked_ me?" Gristle said, staring at Branch. Branch snorted a few more times before finally getting ahold of himself and grinning widely at the dazed Bergen. All was quiet for a few moments and Branch began to fidget. Was the king mad? What if he did something to him? What if he did something to Poppy?!

Branch's frantic thoughts were interrupted by loud giggle-snorting. Amazed, Branch stared at Gristle as he laughed loudly.

"That… was hilarious!" Gristle gasped out. Branch scowled. The king was supposed to get mad! He wasn't supposed to find Branch  _funny_! "Boy, I'm glad Chef didn't kill you," Gristle commented in a conversational way, as if he was talking about the weather and not life or death,  _literally_. "You're great for entertainment!" Branch's face darkened and he crossed his arms.

"I'm glad you find me so amusing," he spat angrily.

"Oh, I do! Can you do anything else?" the king asked. He either totally missed the hostility coming off of Branch in waves, or he was ignoring it. Neither sat well with Branch. "How about dancing? Oooh, or singing?"

"I  _don't_  dance, and I  _ **don't**_  sing," Branch scoffed, sitting down and turning his back on the Bergen. His instincts screamed that this was a bad idea ( _Never turn your back on your enemy!_ ), but Branch's fury overpowered his paranoia. "And I certainly won't  _perform_  for a savage, bloodthirsty Bergen like you!" he added scathingly.

To his surprise, Gristle was silent. He heard the king sigh heavily and walk away and turned to watch. The king sat a few paces away on his bed, staring at his hands in his lap. Gristle's pet lizard-dog-thing whined and jumped up next to his owner, pawing at his knee.

"Maybe you're right," Gristle said quietly. "Maybe we are bloodthirsty. But," he glared at Branch. "Don't my people deserve to be happy, too? It's not fair that you Trolls are always so cheerful all the time while Bergens are so miserable!"

"Does it look like I care?" Branch sneered, refusing to back down. The king had a point, but Branch couldn't do anything about it. What was he supposed to do? The Bergens' solution was to eat Branch's people! Who does that?!

"I thought you'd understand my problem!" Gristle said. "I mean, you're unhappy, just like us!"

"Well, I  _don't_ ," Branch growled. "At least  _I_  don't  **eat people**! If you're looking for sympathy, talk to someone else, because you're not gonna find it here."

"Fine!" Gristle snapped, standing up and storming out. "Come on, Barnabus," he ordered. The lizard thing whimpered and followed the king out. The door slammed shut, leaving Branch all alone.

* * *

 

Poppy huddled together with the rest of the Snack Pack in the darkness of the ceremonial pot, listening to the noises of Chef and the other Bergens in the kitchen. She looked over at her friends affectionately: Biggie was huddled on the floor with Mr. Dinkles in his lap, Smidge on one side and Fuzzbert on the other. They were talking to him quietly, comforting him. Guy Diamond and Suki were sitting side-by-side, conversing quietly, while Satin, Chenille, and Cooper played some sort of game next to Poppy that involved Cooper's hat and some pretty cool hand movements.

Four sharp  _clicks_  broke through the relative silence and everyone looked up as the lid slid aside, light flooding in.

"Now, for the main course!" Chef said gleefully. Poppy scrambled backwards, her friends following close behind. "The Trolls!" Chef laughed as tons of colorful bodies poured into the pot, shrieks of surprise and grunts of pain accompanying them. When the last of the Trolls hit the bottom of the pot, the lid was shut once more with a loud grinding sound.

"Poppy?" The pink troll turned and saw her father. She opened her arms and collapsed into his embrace, smiling slightly. "Oh, Poppy, you're alive! I was so worried," Peppy pulled back, his hands resting on his daughter's shoulders as he searched her face.

"Princess Poppy?" a young Troll asked, tugging on the hem of Poppy's dress. Poppy crouched down to the little Troll's height. "What's gonna happen to us now?"

Poppy glanced around as the crowd murmured worriedly. They were all looking to her for guidance. Poppy felt a pang when she didn't see the gray skin and bright blue eyes of the Troll she'd come to depend on to always be there for her.

"Don't worry," Poppy said confidently, getting to her feet. "I have a plan. And," she looked at her friends. They smiled encouragingly, and the twins gave her a quadruple thumbs up. "And, we have help from someone on the outside."

"Who is it?" someone asked excitedly.

Everyone began to chatter at once, wondering who this person could be.

"Is it Branch?!" an orange Troll asked, gazing at Poppy. The crowd whispered enthusiastically. Poppy didn't respond, staring at nothing as a rushing noise filled her ears and pounded in her head. The world tipped violently, nearly sending Poppy tumbling to the floor. She felt a hand rest on each of her shoulders and saw Satin and Chenille come to stand beside her.

"It's okay, girl," Satin told her.

"Chin up," Chenille urged her, a smile stretching across her blue-purple face. The rest of the Snack Pack stood behind Poppy, their solid presence keeping her from breaking down. Poppy smiled at the twins before turning back to the now silent crowd.

"No, it's not Branch," Poppy began. "Branch… Chef took him." Everyone gasped. Poppy waited for silence before she continued. "This person is a Bergen. Her name is Bridget, and she's going to help us escape. We've already worked out the details. As for Branch," Poppy paused, making sure all eyes were on her. "My friends and I are going to find him as soon as everyone is safe."

"Can we help?" Peppy asked. Poppy shook her head.

"The best way for you guys to help is to stay safe," she said gently. "That way I'll only have to worry about Branch. I need you to be safe," she spoke mostly to her father. He smiled sadly but nodded.

"You heard the princess!" Peppy said to the crowd. "As soon as this Bridget frees us, we must all get to safety! I will lead us there. You," he gestured to Poppy and the Snack Pack. "Go find Branch."

Poppy nodded, looking back at her friends. Their faces were set in determination. She had the best friends in the world.

_Click_.

Everyone looked up, falling silent. The lid was pulled back slowly. Poppy braced herself, doubt whispering in her mind that she quickly pushed away.

_Here we go…_

* * *

 

Gristle was gone for a long time, and Branch was bored out of his ever-loving mind. He had tested each and every one of the fifteen bars, attempted to pick the lock a grand total of nine times, had done as many push-ups as he could in a row (twenty-one), and had counted each of the individual leaves that made up his vest (he lost track at thirty-six).

Just as Branch was wondering whether or not it would be worth it to try to pick the lock for the tenth time, the door opened. King Gristle came inside, followed closely by two attendants.

"I have to look perfect!" Gristle said, stopping in front of his mirror and posing.

"And you will, Sire!" one of the attendants promised. She held something up and Gristle motioned for her to step closer. She obliged, setting the piece of cloth (which Branch decided must be the "bib") around his neck.

"You look outstanding, Sire!" the other attendant assured him, straightening out his royal cape. She spotted Branch staring at them in the mirror and walked over to the end table. She picked up the cage and held it out to Gristle. "Do you want this, my king?" she asked. Gristle glanced at Branch, who glared back at him.

"Sure," Gristle said, shrugging and looking back at his reflection.

The attendants both curtsied and followed Gristle out of the room obediently. Why did Gristle want to bring Branch?

_He wants me to watch my friends get eaten_ , Branch realized with horror.

The Bergens all got to their feet and clapped when Gristle entered. He waved and sat down in the throne-like chair at the head of the table. As the attendant set Branch down on the table next to Gristle, Branch spotted something in front of the king that surprised him. It was Bridget's other skate from when she went on a date with the king disguised as Lady Glittersparkles. Branch watched as the king picked it up and spun the wheel nervously.

"Give it up for your Royal Chef!" A familiar voice called out. The door was thrown open and Chef strolled in, Bridget following at her heels, pushing a cart with a large cooking pot on top. The Bergens cheered, pounding the table. Branch grabbed his ears, wincing at all the noise.

"There is only one thing that can make you happy," Chef told Gristle, bowing with a greedy smile. "And only one Bergen who can provide it!  _Bon appétit_!"

Branch watched with apprehension as she whipped off the lid dramatically, gripping the bars so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He couldn't see into the pot from his angle, and he couldn't tear his eyes away either.

The Bergens gasped in mingled dismay and outrage.

"They're  _gone_?!" Chef said, staring into the pot.

"Gone!" The Bergens echoed angrily.

"Gone?" Gristle exclaimed.

"Gone…" Branch repeated to himself. He let out a breathy laugh, followed by a strangled choking sound, before he began to laugh loudly. He was gasping for breath, tears welling up in his eyes, but he couldn't stop. Branch began to feel lightheaded as he wheezed, laughing hysterically. Tears were gushing down his cheeks and Branch couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying. Maybe a bit of both.

Branch sank down dizzily, the edges of his vision going black, but he couldn't stop. Finally, he let out a raspy giggle before his eyes closed and he collapsed, unable to draw enough breath.

_They're safe!_ He thought before the darkness claimed him and he knew no more.


	4. The Bright Side

Chef peered into the pot and smiled. A few Trolls behind Poppy whimpered.

"They're all here," Chef muttered. She pulled back and turned away. "Idget! Get in here! I've got a job for you!"

"Yes, Chef?"

"Polish this pot! I want it shiny and clean for tonight's Trollstice!" She slid the lid over and bolted it shut. Poppy could still hear her speaking, although it was slightly muffled. "Once you're finished, I want you out here, understand? This door will stay open. I don't trust you."

"Yes, Chef," Bridget said quietly. Footsteps stomped away and Poppy heard a door swing shut, although the outside noises didn't vanish completely. Chef must have left it open a crack.

Suddenly, the pot moved again. The clasps that secured the lid clicked once more, followed by a scraping sound as it slid aside.

"Poppy?" Bridget whispered. Her face appeared and she peered anxiously down at the gathered Trolls. Poppy waved to get her attention and Bridget reached down her hand, palm flat so Poppy could climb onto it. When Bridget pulled her hand up, Poppy got a good look at her surroundings.

The pot was on top of a rolling cart in a small closet-like room with a single torch bracket hanging on the wall next to a plain wooden door, which was nearly closed. Only a sliver of light shone through the crack that was left. The walls were lined with shelves that were stacked with all sorts of food items alongside bottles of various liquids and kitchen utensils.

"Where are we?" Poppy asked, gazing around.

"We're in the supply closet, in the kitchen," Bridget told her. Poppy looked at the door, then back at Bridget.

"How are we supposed to get out? The only exit is that door, and that's where Chef is," Poppy pointed out. "Not to mention all the other Bergens I can hear out there."

"Don't worry!" Bridget said brightly. She set Poppy down gently on a nearby shelf before picking up the pot and carefully tipping it sideways. The Trolls fell or hopped out and looked around, confused. Once every last Troll was safely on the ground, Bridget replaced the pot and locked the lid back in place. That done, she bustled over to the furthest corner from the door. The light of the torch didn't reach that far, and the area was shrouded in shadows. Bridget moved a barrel aside, bent down and grabbed something, and pulled hard. With an agonizing creaking sound, a trapdoor slowly lifted. Bridget beamed at Poppy.

"It's a servant's corridor," she explained in a whisper, motioning for the Trolls to enter. "Every castle has them. Only a few Bergens know about these passages, so you should be able to get away without being seen. Just go straight, take two lefts, a right, another left, and keep following the main tunnel. You'll come out near the back of the castle. Got that?"

"I'll take them, Poppy," King Peppy said. Poppy watched as the rest of village jumped down the Bergen-sized stairs and waited at the base, peering nervously into the dark tunnels that stretched out in front and behind them. Her father smiled at Bridget and put a hand on hers. "Thank you, Bridget."

"Oh, it was nothing," Bridget said, blushing. Poppy gave her father one last hug, waved goodbye to the rest of the village, and watched as they disappeared into the darkness of the corridors. Poppy's friends assembled behind her, watching quietly.

Bridget glanced at the door before turning to Poppy.

"What about you guys?" she asked.

"We're going to find Branch," DJ said. The rest of the Snack Pack was standing behind Poppy, nodding in agreement. Bridget bit her lip, looking at the door again.

"Okay," she said. "Okay, here's the plan. You guys go down there," she pointed to the pathways. "Wait there. I'll come get you whenever I can. I know those tunnels like the back of my hand; we'll be able to find Branch and get out of here before anyone notices."

"How long will we have to wait down there?" Biggie asked, eyeing the inky blackness apprehensively.

"I'm not sure…" Bridget said. Poppy could see her getting nervous once again.

"Can we explore down there?" Poppy broke in. Bridget looked surprised, but she considered this.

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll come find you eventually. Just don't leave those corridors!"

"Yes, ma'am," Poppy said, saluting jokingly and smiling at Bridget.

"Idget!" Chef yelled. Everyone jumped. "Hurry up in there!"

"Go, go," Bridget urged. The Snack Pack jumped down into the tunnels one by one. Poppy quickly hugged Bridget's thumb, whispered, "Thanks, Bridget," and followed her friends.

Poppy landed lightly and looked up. She watched as the trapdoor closed and heard Bridget drag the barrel back into place. Silence fell.

Suddenly, there was a flicker of green light. Poppy whirled around to find the source: Mr. Dinkles, sitting in Biggie's arms, was glowing softly, getting brighter by the second until the tunnel around the Trolls was lit by the soft hue.

"Did you know he could do that?" Cooper asked. Biggie shook his head, staring at his pet.

"Well, let's get going!" Poppy's cheerful voice broke the silence. She turned away from where her father had led the others and began walking. Her friends weren't far behind her.

* * *

 

Branch blinked open his eyes and groaned. His chest felt tight and painful, his cheeks hurt, and everything sounded loud yet muffled. He sat up slowly, pressing his eyes shut and taking deep, even breaths. That seemed to make him feel better, although the noises were just getting sharper. His ears were starting to hurt, so he reached up and tried to cover them.

Something slammed the ground in front of Branch and he opened his eyes to see Chef's piercing yellow eyes staring into his, her face just inches from his. The memory of just moments ago flooded back and Branch's head whirled.

" _Where are they_?!" Chef snarled. She grabbed the bars of the cage and shook it forcefully. It rattled loudly as Branch flew back. His head smacked into the hard metal floor and stars burst into existence, dancing in front of his eyes. His ears were ringing and his head was pounding painfully and Branch curled up, trying to make it stop. Chef shook the cage again.

"Tell me where they went!"

"Chef!" Gristle broke in. The world stopped moving, but Branch didn't uncurl. "How could  _he_  know? He's been in my room this entire time!"

Branch opened his eyes and struggled to his feet. Chef stood in front of the table, glaring at Branch. Gristle was standing next to her, staring at the empty pot. Bridget stood next to it nervously, glancing around at the enraged Bergens.

"Now what do we do?" Gristle asked nobody in particular. The Bergens grew quieter, although they were still muttering. Branch let go of his ears and watched nervously as Chef looked down at the pouch around her waist. She ripped it open and fished around inside. Her face grew red with rage as she pulled the pouch off and turned it inside out. It was empty except for a small hole at the very bottom. Branch eyed Chef warily as her lips pulled back in a terrifying snarl. He wouldn't have been surprised if steam came out of her ears and wondered if Bergens could blow up if they got too angry.

Gristle, meanwhile, was ignoring Chef.

"There's only one Troll left, and we can't eat an unhappy Troll!" he said, looking around as if more Trolls would magically pop out of the walls and offer themselves for consumption.

"That's it," Chef whispered. She spun around to face the general public and waved her arms. "Everyone! Please return to your homes. There has been a minor setback, but I assure you, your king and I are coming up with a plan!"

Gristle looked at Chef, baffled, but the Bergens seemed to accept what she said. They all filed out of the hall, grumbling. Branch saw Bridget scurry out a side door quickly, away from the rest of the Bergens. Had she had something to do with the Trolls' escape?

Branch had no time to ponder this new realization before the door slammed shut behind the last Bergen, leaving him alone with King Gristle and Chef.

"Do you really have a plan?" Gristle asked Chef suspiciously. Her smile made Branch turn cold and he shivered.

"Of course, Sire!" Chef said. She looked over at Branch with a calculating eye, smiling deviously. She walked over to Branch's cage, explaining her plan as she went.

"I realized something a short while ago, you see," she said, picking Branch up. "Why did this Troll come with the pink one? To rescue their friends. And the Trolls in the village? They came out of hiding when they thought she had returned. That's how we can lure the others back; Trolls don't abandon their own. Isn't that right?" Chef turned to Branch. There was a crazy glint in her eye that Branch didn't like. Branch felt himself shaking like a leaf.

"I see!" Gristle said, staring at Branch as well. "We'll use this one as bait!"

"No!" Branch exclaimed before he could stop himself. He clapped his hands over his mouth, but the damage had been done.

Chef smiled victoriously.

"Now," she began, leading Gristle out of the hall, still holding a horrified Branch. "Here's the plan."

As the huge double doors slammed shut behind Chef and the king, Branch saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over and saw Bridget heading down the hall, following Chef and Gristle at an explainable distance. She was holding the same broom from earlier in one hand and a dustpan in the other and was seemingly concentrating so hard on her cleaning that she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. Branch watched closely, though, and saw her glance up at the group ahead of her a few times. She was always there behind them, and no one questioned her. Chef had even looked around for eavesdroppers once, spotted Bridget, and, seeing her sweeping at the opposite end of the hall, had completely ignored her.

Branch grinned. He had really underestimated Bridget, and it seemed like that was what she was counting on.


	5. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

The Snack Pack had agreed that the leader should be the one holding their light source. Naturally, that was Biggie. He wasn't too impressed by this idea. Poppy offered to hold Mr. Dinkles multiple times, but it seemed like Biggie's love for his pet outweighed his anxiety, as he had turned her down each time. Finally, they had compromised: Poppy would lead, with Biggie and Mr. Dinkles not two steps behind her at all times. All parties seemed satisfied with this arrangement.

Poppy halted as they came to yet another side tunnel.

"Okay, let's vote again," she said, turning to her friends. "Raise your hand for turning right."

Smidge, Cooper, and DJ Suki raised their hands.

"Three. Now, hands up for going straight," Poppy instructed, raising her own hand. The twins, Biggie, and Guy Diamond followed suit. Fuzzbert stood on one foot. "Sorry, guys. You're outvoted six to three. Straight it is!"

Everybody joked with good humor as they followed Poppy and Biggie. They had come across a few forks in the corridors, and Poppy had always put the decision to a vote. That way, it would be more fair (and more fun). It seemed to be working, because they hadn't had any mishaps yet.

Of course, it was just then that the walls burst into sound, scaring the Trolls out of their wits. The noises, which were cries of anger, boos, and hisses, were coming from the wall to the left. Poppy pressed her ear against the rough stone and listened.

"They're gone?!" Chef's howl of rage was so close that Poppy jumped, half expecting to see the Bergen materialize out of thin air beside her. Poppy gasped.

"It's the dining hall!" she said. Poppy's friends rushed up beside her, jostling each other as they leaned against the stone. Poppy shushed them urgently, squeezing her eyes shut as if it would help her hear better.

"Where are they?!" Chef's voice sounded further away. There was a sharp rattling sound like metal on metal and a barely audible grunt of pain that was so quiet Poppy almost thought she had imagined it.

"Branch!" The twins said in unison, looking at each other with wide eyes before turning to Poppy.

"We have to go in there!" Smidge said fiercely, hopping off of Biggie's shoulders and looking ready to punch her way through the wall at any moment. DJ grabbed her arm.

"We can't just waltz right in there!" Biggie said, looking traumatized.

"We've gotta be sneaky about it," Cooper agreed, crouching low to the ground as a demonstration. Poppy remembered the vent system she and Branch had used to get into that very same hall earlier that day. It felt like centuries ago.

"I know how to get in there," Poppy said. Everyone stopped arguing and turned to her eagerly. "Branch and I used the air vents earlier. Branch said they run throughout big castles like this to provide fresh air everywhere. He said you can go pretty much anywhere. If we can find a way out of this tunnel, then maybe I can retrace our steps and get us into that hall."

"That's a great idea, Popps," Satin said hesitantly.

"But how do we get out of here?" Chenille finished. Poppy bit her lip and looked around.

"How about that?" Guy Diamond spoke up. Everyone spun towards his voice and followed his pointing finger to a rectangular hole cut into the wall near the ceiling

"A vent!" Poppy cheered. Upon closer inspection, Poppy realized that it was even in the wall that separated them from the dining hall! The opening was fairly high, but Smidge volunteered to lift everyone up one-by-one; at least until they could reach by themselves.

Poppy crawled towards the light and noise as carefully as possible with her friends. When she reached the edge, she carefully peered over, laying on her belly. Below her, the Bergens were grumbling and streaming out of the doors at her right. A flash of purple-pink hair drew Poppy's attention to Bridget as she slipped into a much smaller, hidden door on the far side of the room. Did it lead to more servant corridors?

The doors shut behind the last Bergen with a loud thud and Poppy propped herself up on her elbows, peering towards the only two Bergens left. King Gristle stood in front of a small table, behind which sat a large throne. He was watching the second, taller Bergen. Poppy narrowed her eyes angrily at Chef's back but didn't move. Instead, she held her breath and listened, catching the end of Chef's sentence.

"-rescue their friends," she said, her back still to Poppy. She was holding something in front of her.

_Turn around!_  Poppy urged her mentally.

"And the Trolls in the village? They came out of hiding when they thought she had returned. That's how we can lure the others back; Trolls don't abandon their own. Isn't that right?" Chef finally turned around and revealed what she had been holding.

"Branch!" Poppy cried. She ducked down quickly, but neither of the Bergens looked up. Poppy watched as Branch stared at Chef, his eyes big. Poppy could see him shaking even from her distant vantage point and nearly cried. As it was, she barely managed to hold in a whimper as her heart shattered inside of her.

"I see!" Gristle piped up, as excited as if Chef had told him it was his birthday and she had baked him a special cake. "We'll use this one as bait!"

"No!" Branch cried. Poppy winced as he covered his mouth with his hands, mentally scolding him. He should have known better!

"Now, here's the plan," Chef said, smiling triumphantly as she led the king out of the huge double doors. Poppy stood up, preparing to jump down, but stopped when she noticed the door Bridget had gone through open once more. Bridget hurried out, holding a broom and dustpan, and slipped through the closing doors.

"Where's she going?" Cooper asked in a loud whisper.

"Is she following them?" Suki asked Poppy, her voice quieter than Cooper's.

"I'm not sure," Poppy answered, keeping her voice low. She stared at the still door for a few more heartbeats before standing up and turning away to face her friends. "Let's get back to the floor and try to follow them," Poppy continued, pointing back the way they had come. Smidge ran ahead to lower everyone to the floor.

As Poppy trailed behind her friends, she felt as if her heart was being pulled right out of her chest, tugged along with Branch as he got further and further away from Poppy. Hot tears pricked her eyes and she brushed them away angrily. She let Smidge lower her to the floor and began to lead the way, feeling numb and unattached. She had been so close! He was  _right there_  in front of her and she hadn't done a thing.

Branch's petrified face swam in front of Poppy's eyes, and when she shut her eyes she could see him in that cage, shaking, so scared and alone even though Poppy had been  _right_ _ **there**_. She should have let him know somehow that she was there and that he wasn't alone, but she hadn't.

"Hey," Guy Diamond snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced at him in surprise. He frowned back at her. "You're beating yourself up over what happened, aren't you."

It wasn't a question.

"We can see it in your eyes, so don't try to deny it," Suki told her from where she was on Guy's other side.

"I should have done something!" Poppy said, her frustration clamoring to be released. She kicked a pebble and watched it bounce away down the path in front of them. "Didn't you see how scared he was?"

"What were you gonna do, then? Stand up and wave?" Cooper interjected. Poppy shrugged half-heartedly, staring at the floor.

"If you had tried anything, we would've been spotted," Smidge said gruffly. Fuzzbert hummed consolingly.

"Fuzz's right, Poppy," Biggie said. His voice was gentle yet assertive, which surprised Poppy. He was usually pretty timid and laid-back. "You can't concentrate on the what ifs. You should worry about the what nows."

"Or the what nexts-es-es," Cooper chimed in, tripping over the words and making everyone laugh.

"You guys are right, as usual," Poppy said. The pain in her chest lessened and the tug stopped.

"You should listen to us more often," the twins teased. Poppy grinned.

* * *

 

Branch was in the king's room. Again. He had tried to listen to Chef's plan, but she must have noticed him. She hadn't said anything important or vital before literally dropping his cage onto the end table once more and leaving, the king trotting in her wake and hanging onto her every word.

Branch groaned dramatically. This was definitely not the highlight of his life so far. In fact, it might have been the third worst thing he had ever experienced, right behind turning gray and that one flash mob he'd been stuck in the middle of for like three hours.

Just as he was accepting his fate and settling in for a life of miserable boredom, the door slowly opened. Branch sat up and stared at it apprehensively. That quickly turned to annoyance when it just kept inching slowly without actually opening all the way. Either Bridget was just outside, or someone was playing a prank on him to see how long it took him to crack, which would be any second if that stupid creaking noise continued and  _for the love of mushrooms would she_ _ **hurry up**_?!

As if Bridget had read Branch's mind, the door popped open the rest of the way. Bridget scrambled inside and slammed it shut behind her.  _Real smooth_. Her expression turned joyful when she saw Branch and Bridget hustled over to him, grinning and panting slightly.

"Hi!" she whispered. Branch just raised an eyebrow at her. She was too busy digging through the small pull-out door in the table to notice. "Aha!" she pulled out a small key and held it up proudly.

"Good job," Branch hissed, grabbing the bars and leaning. "Now can you get me out of here,  _please_?" Although she looked startled by Branch's tone, Bridget nodded, quickly unlocking the door and letting it swing open. Branch hopped out, sighing in relief when he felt wood beneath his feet rather than cold metal. He wiggled his toes, promising himself that he would never take walking on anything that wasn't metal for granted ever again.

"Come on," Bridget said, holding out her hand. Branch paused for a fraction of a second before stepping on. Bridget was very careful, however, when she lifted Branch to her shoulder, and he relaxed almost instantly. When she left the room, she was careful not to bump him as she opened and closed the door, which Branch appreciated very much.

"Where are we going?" he asked nervously when Bridget stopped in front of a bare stone wall in a small, lonely hallway.

"Servant's corridors," Bridget explained. She pushed a stone seemingly at random and the wall slid aside, just wide enough for her to squeeze through. On the other side, Bridget pulled a lever and the wall moved soundlessly back into place. Branch was pretty impressed.

"Nice," he said as Bridget grabbed a torch off of the wall and headed left. She smiled at him briefly and Branch smiled back.

"Poppy is somewhere in here," Bridget explained. Branch's heart fluttered and he forced himself to remain neutral-faced even as his insides writhed with joy. "I told her I'd find her, but she was wandering around, so-"

"Bridget?" A familiar voice rang out and Branch turned forward as if in a dream. He knew that sweet voice, and he knew that pink face. When his eyes met her magenta ones, everything fell into place and Branch was home.

Poppy stopped abruptly, staring at him, her pretty eyes wide and her lips forming an 'O'.

"Branch?" she whispered faintly, and everything fell away; Bridget, the tunnels, the darkness, the rest of the Trolls, even the lights. It was all there but it wasn't, too, because Poppy was here, and she saw Branch and said his name and everything was going to be okay.

He was safe.


	6. Pink And Blue And I Love You

Branch jumped off of Bridget's shoulder, hitting the ground with a jolt that made him stumble. He staggered back a few steps, trying to regain his balance, but his efforts were thwarted when Poppy slammed into him, bowling him over. Their momentum rolled them back a few paces but neither Troll noticed or cared. Poppy was simultaneously laughing and crying as she squeezed Branch tightly and Branch was gripping her just as strongly, his face pressed into her hair and a smile on his face. They came to a stop with Poppy laying on top of Branch and the Snack Pack snickered at their positions.

Poppy pulled back and looked down at Branch, her eyes glittering with happiness. Branch laughed and sat up, gently pushing Poppy off of him but not letting go of her hands. Branch watched as Poppy sniffed and wiped a tear away before she leaned forward, still sitting, and hugged him, her head resting on his shoulder. Branch closed his eyes and melted into the hug.

Branch felt lighter than he had in years, and something inside of him clicked into place. The warm feeling that had blossomed upon seeing Poppy finally exploded, gushing through his veins and flowing down his arms and legs, leaving a tingling sensation that wasn't at all unpleasant. Branch felt…  _happy_.

Branch's eyes snapped open when the Snack Pack gasped in astonishment and he pulled away from Poppy, looking around for the threat.

"Branch!" Poppy exclaimed. He looked over at her and she wordlessly pointed back at him. Confused, Branch looked down and saw blue. He let go of Poppy and brought his hands up to his face. They were  _blue_ , not gray. He grabbed a strand of hair and pulled it down in front of his face, amazed to see a deep cobalt blue rather than the black he had been accustomed to.

He laughed disbelievingly and looked back at Poppy, still holding his hair. She smiled widely at him.

"Branch, you've found your colors!" she said happily. "Does this mean you're happy?"

"I… think so," he answered slowly, unable to process the idea. The rest of the Trolls cheered and, before Branch knew it, he was swept up into yet another group hug.

"I can't believe it!" Bridget squealed, crouching down and joining the group hug.

Branch smiled, trying to enjoy this new feeling, but the voices were too loud and close and bodies pressed against him on all sides, making him feel trapped. Panic chased away the fragile joy and he clamped down on it before it could overwhelm him.

"Okay, okay, enough," he said, sounding like his old self as he shoved his way out of the huddle. "We need to find a way out of here."

"We can't leave!" Poppy said, frowning. "If we go, the Bergens will just come find us again. We have to show them that they can be happy without eating Trolls," she explained. Branch was doubtful that would work, but all the others, including Bridget, were nodding.

"I think it's time Lady Glittersparkles made her public debut," Poppy said slyly, looking over at Bridget. "What do you think?"

"I think…" Bridget hesitated, looking nervous, but she shook her head. "I agree," she said, standing up confidently. Everyone cheered and Branch shrugged, smiling.

"Come on," Bridget continued, marching off with the Trolls following. "Let's go get everything ready!"

Poppy stayed in the rear, Branch by her side. He was still marveling at his newly regained color and was practicing changing his hair color as well. He hadn't been able to do that in twenty years and had forgotten how good it felt. As Branch walked he copied the other Trolls' hair colors one-by-one, feeling a rush of victory when he finally succeeded imitating the complex pattern of the twins.

He turned to demonstrate to Poppy his imitation of her color and saw the adoring look that was on her face as she watched him. Poppy blushed when she saw him staring and Branch felt his own cheeks heating up. He faced forward again quickly, but Poppy's hand in his stopped him in his tracks. He turned to her and they quietly let the others draw ahead, their voices fading.

"I was so worried about you," Poppy said, her voice soft. She was looking at their joined hands and Branch stayed silent, letting her sort out her thoughts. "We were there," she said finally, looking up at him. "When you were alone with Chef and Gristle. I wanted to do something to let you know, but-"

"I'm glad you didn't," Branch told her. "That could have been disastrous!" He scowled at her, but squeezed her hand to let her know that he wasn't truly angry.

"Are you okay?" Poppy asked suddenly, peering at his face. He opened his mouth to say yes, of course, but something stopped him.

He looked at Poppy's face, her freckles sparkling on her cheeks, her magenta eyes questioning, and thought. She had showed him how to be happy and helped him find his colors. She had always been there when everyone else had given him up as a hopeless case, had always made him those special invitations no matter how many he rejected and destroyed. She had returned for him, even though she could have fled with the rest of the village.

Normally, Branch wouldn't have admitted being scared, being  _weak_ , to anyone, let alone Poppy. All the memories of their journey bounced around in Branch's mind, reflected in Poppy's eyes, and Branch realized that he didn't want to be alone anymore. He didn't have to hold back with Poppy. He didn't have to hide from the world any longer.

"No," he said truthfully. Poppy smiled sadly and gently took his other hand. She began to dance slowly, spinning them around and humming. Branch watched and let her lead him, matching her movements with only a few stumbles and missteps.

" _You with the sad eyes_ ," she began, her voice almost inaudible. " _Don't be discouraged._ " She twirled in place, letting go with one hand and using Branch to keep her centered. " _Oh I realize it's hard to take courage in a world full of people; the darkness inside you can make you feel so small._ " Branch was entranced, watching her as she swayed, leading them in a slow waltz in time to her song.

" _Show me a smile, then. Don't be unhappy._ " Branch obliged, smiling at her, and her face lit up as she continued. " _Can't remember when I last saw you laughing. This world makes you crazy_ ," she pushed Branch, causing him to spin in place before grabbing his hand to stop him. He let out a breathless laugh, pulled along as Poppy kept dancing. " _And you've taken all you can bear. Just call me up, 'cause I will always be there._ " Poppy came to a rest, facing Branch and still clutching his hands. They were only inches apart, but Poppy only leaned closer. She rested her forehead on Branch's and closed her eyes.

" _And I see your true colors shining through_ ," Branch sang softly. Poppy's eyes flew open. " _I see your true colors; that's why I love you._ " Poppy straightened up, her smile joyful. Branch grinned at her, slightly embarrassed.

" _So don't be afraid to let them show,_ " Poppy picked up, tugging his hands as she began to sway back and forth. " _Your true colors, true colors are beautiful._ " Branch sang the last line with her.

" _I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors; that's why I love you_ ," their voices rose into the darkness together as they danced to their tune, moving as one. " _So don't be afraid to let them show. Your true colors, true colors are beautiful._ "

" _Like a rainbow_ ," Branch sang, his voice quieting.

" _Oh, like a rainbow_ ," Poppy finished. They slowed to a stop, staring at each other before leaning forward. Branch's eyes were on Poppy's lips, and he didn't know what was going to happen, but he sure as bells wasn't going to stop it.

"Woohoo!" a cheer sliced through the space between Poppy and Branch and they sprang apart, looking around wildly.

"Cooper!" the Snack Pack and Bridget groaned. The four-legged Troll grinned sheepishly. Poppy hid her face in her hands and laughed helplessly. Branch wasn't as amused.

"How long have you been there?" he demanded, his cheeks on fire.

"Long enough," Guy Diamond responded, bouncing his eyebrows. Branch growled, but Guy didn't look convinced.

"I knew it!" Satin said, giving her twin a high-five.

"Don't we have something we're supposed to be doing?" Branch asked loudly.

"Come on," Bridget said, failing to hide a smile. The others laughed and waited for Poppy and Branch to catch up before they all set off, the rest of the Trolls chattering away.

Poppy's hand slipped into Branch's and he smiled.


	7. Back In Black (And Gray)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title references ACDC's "Back In Black." I don't own the song and all rights go to the proper owners. I just think I'm funny.

Luckily for the small group, there was an entrance to the corridors in Bridget's room, so they were able to travel through the entire castle without leaving the safety of the hidden tunnels.

 

 

"So, um, what exactly  _is_  the plan?" Bridget asked, sitting down on her bed. Everyone turned to look at Poppy, who hesitated. She hadn't really thought it through; she had figured that Gristle would listen to Lady Glittersparkles, who would reveal herself to be Bridget. Then, the Bergens would see the error of their ways, vow never to eat another Troll again, and life would be cupcakes and rainbows once more!

Poppy hadn't really fine-tuned the middle parts quite yet, but the ending was the important part here anyway.

"Do you even have a plan?" Branch asked her dryly. He let go of her hand to prop his fists on his hips and raised an eyebrow at her. Poppy blushed, partly out of embarrassment, but partly because Branch was so  _cute_ when he did that and the half amused, half exasperated look on his face made Poppy want to kiss his scrunched-up nose. Branch shook his head and asked, "What did you have in mind, then? Why did you suggest Bridget disguise herself again?"

"Well, I thought that Gristle would see that he's in love with Bridget, and that Bergens can find happiness because it's inside of all of us, and then everyone would be happy, the end," Poppy said brightly. Branch's eyebrow inched upwards even more.

"Right. How, exactly, are we going to convince the Bergens that they don't have to eat Trolls, again?" He asked. Poppy grinned, abashed. Branch huffed. "How about Bridget, as Lady Glittersparkles, convinces Gristle to call a town meeting," Branch suggested.

"That might not be easy," Bridget said nervously.

"We'll be with you, like last time," Poppy told her earnestly. "Branch, that's a great idea!" Poppy bounced forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him briefly before letting go. She turned away, pretending not to see Branch's flushed cheeks. "We can explain everything to the Bergens there! Oh, Branch, you're such a genius! Let's go, everyone!"

The Snack Pack cheered and split up, getting to work. Satin and Chenille helped Bridget straighten out her jumpsuit, calling instructions to Cooper, Smidge, and DJ, who were on makeup duty. Biggie and Fuzzbert were pulling out the high-heel shoes and helping Bridget into them. Poppy and Branch stood on Bridget's head, the former directing her friends like a general ordering around troops in the battlefield. The makeover was done in no time flat, and everyone climbed up to stand with Poppy and Branch.

"Ready?" Poppy asked Bridget. The Bergen took a deep breath and put on her game face.

"Ready," she replied. Poppy stood straight and let her hair grow out, changing its color into a bright rainbow as it shot up. Her friends followed suit, their hair tangling together to form a long, multicolored wig. Next to Poppy, Branch copied the Snack Pack, and he only hesitated for a second before letting his hair get swept up into the swirl of colors that was rapidly forming the last piece of Lady Glittersparkles's disguise. Poppy gently took Branch's hand and smiled at him reassuringly; a Troll's hair was very important to them, and they only let others they were very comfortable with touch it in any way. Branch in particular had always been very vocal about how a Troll's hair is his or her best defense, and always got upset when anyone even tried to touch his head. Poppy knew how monumental this was to him and wanted to show him how much she appreciated it.

Bridget struck a pose in front of her mirror before prancing out the door, the Trolls whispering encouragements the whole way.

All through the castle Bergens stopped and stared at Bridget as she passed. Poppy could feel Bridget getting more and more anxious the closer they got to the throne room, so she shifted closer to her ear to remind her that they were all right here. To her surprise, Branch got there first.

"It's okay, Bridget," he whispered. "You snuck into the king's room and rescued me all by yourself,  _and_  single-handedly saved the entire village from being eaten. You've done this before, remember? You're braver than you think, and this time we're going to be right here with you."

"Thanks, Poppy," Bridget whispered. Poppy blinked.

"That wasn't me," she said, glancing at Branch who smiled awkwardly, his face a darker blue than before. "That was Branch."

"Well, thanks, Branch!" Bridget corrected herself, glancing to the side to look at him, smiling widely. Branch just shrugged modestly, and his face turned the same color as his hair. Poppy giggled and, before she could talk herself out of it, leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek. It was just a brief peck, but Branch froze, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping comically, staring at Poppy as if she had just sprouted an extra head.

"Yes!" Satin exclaimed.

"Pay up, losers!" Chenille sang. Poppy and Branch whirled around and watched as the Snack Pack grumbled and forked over the small sparkly beads Trolls used as currency to the smug-looking twins.

"Wha- were you  _betting_  on us?" Branch spluttered. Poppy laughed; she was blushing slightly, but she knew her friends too well to have not expected this. The twins especially loved to get into heated arguments, or "ship wars," as they called them, over potential or existing couples.

"Of course," Chenille said, storing their earnings in her conjoined hair. Satin smiled sweetly at Branch. The horrified and indignant look on Branch's face only made Poppy want to kiss him again, but there wasn't any time. They'd arrived at the throne room.

"Sorry to interrupt," Bridget whispered, sounding decidedly not sorry. "But we're here."

"Focus, guys," Poppy instructed. Her friends sobered at once, but Branch was still muttering darkly and glaring. Poppy nudged him.

"Don't think I'm gonna let this go," he warned the twins. They tried to look unaffected, but everyone knew about Branch's infamous ability to not only hold grudges, but to get some very creative payback.

Poppy cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention as Bridget flung open the heavy double doors.

Showtime.

* * *

 

Everyone gathered in the throne room jumped at the unexpected noise. A thrill of fear shot through Branch when he saw that one of the four gathered Bergens was Chef and he tensed, shrinking away slightly. Poppy's hand in his shocked him and made him jump, but he calmed quickly and clung onto her like a lifeline.

"Lady Glittersparkles?" Gristle gasped, jumping to his feet.

"My apologies for missing the feast earlier," Bridget said in her 'babe' voice, repeating what Poppy whispered to her. "But it seems I didn't miss much."

"No, you didn't," Gristle said sadly. He met Bridget halfway across the room and held her hands. "It was a disaster. But," he brightened. "We have a plan! You see," he looked around and leaned closer conspiratorially, lowering his voice to a whisper. "We have a hostage! At least, that's what Chef calls him."

"Sire, are you sure we should be giving away our secret plan to a stranger?" Chef interrupted, coming to stand behind Gristle. Branch's heart sped up in his chest and suddenly he couldn't breathe. He sucked in air, closing his eyes as he tried to get himself under control, and then Poppy was there. She cupped his head in her hands and he opened his eyes to see her face in front of his. He grabbed her arms desperately and she rested her forehead on his.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," she soothed, gently rubbing her thumbs along his cheekbones below his eyes. "You're okay, I'm here, just breathe. You're safe, I promise."

Slowly, Branch's breathing evened out and he calmed, relaxing his grip on Poppy and leaning back.

"Sorry," he muttered, not meeting Poppy's eyes. She gently lifted his face and he could see her frowning.

"Don't be," she chided. Although the frown was still there, her eyes held nothing but concern and… and love. For  _him_. "Are you okay now?"

Branch nodded and Poppy released him, moving back to her former position, still holding Branch's hand. Branch hid his humiliation from the others by forcing himself to concentrate on the conversation. Luckily, Bridget was handling herself well without Poppy, although she didn't really have to do much.

"She's my plus one and I trust her, so that's that!" Gristle said, a note of finality on his voice that Chef could not argue with.

"Very well," she conceded reluctantly.

"Anyway," Gristle said, turning back to Bridget. "We're going to gather the village in the dining hall again and we'll have the other Troll there too," Branch could feel everyone's eyes on him but he didn't turn around. "And the other Trolls will have to come out of hiding, you see, or Chef said she'll have to experiment with using gray Troll to see what happens."

Branch was sure that if it wasn't for Poppy he would have fainted right then and there. As it was, he had to lean on her to stay on his feet. Her arm circled his shoulders protectively and he felt the others gather behind them, too, and drew comfort from their protective presence.

"What're we gonna do?" Suki whispered. "They won't gather the Bergens without… without Branch."

"Then we'll go up there," Branch responded, relieved that his voice didn't betray his mess of emotions.

"No!" Poppy snapped forcefully. "No, Branch, I'm not letting you put yourself in danger like that!"

"What choice do we have?" Branch pulled away and faced her, his voice rough.

"It won't work," Smidge said. "You're not gray anymore." Branch scowled.

" _Thank you_ , Smidge," Poppy said, looking pointedly at Branch as if to say  _Told you so_.

"I can turn my hair black," Branch said. He gulped, and his voice wavered slightly. "And I can probably make myself gray again-"

" _No_!" Eight voices cut him off; Fuzzbert mumbled his protest. Branch sighed inwardly in relief. He hadn't realized just how awful being gray had felt until he got his color back, and he never wanted to feel like that again.

"No way!" Cooper said.

"Not happening," Guy agreed.

"Not a chance, Branch," Biggie said, uncharacteristically stern.

"Fine," Branch growled. "Then what do you guys suggest we do? This is our only chance to prove to the Bergens that they can find happiness by themselves, and you guys want to throw it away! I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for twenty years."

Uncomfortable silence followed this statement. Branch glared around at the Snack Pack but nobody met his eyes.

"Why don't you come up to my room, my Lady?" Gristle's voice broke through the one-sided stare down. "I'll show you the Troll!"

"No!" Bridget said quickly. Branch saw Gristle blink and smacked his forehead with his hand. Wonderful. Might as well wave a neon sign that said  **I'm not hiding anything!**  "Uh, I mean… why don't I go get him for you?" Bridget asked, sounding unsure.

"Okay!" Gristle agreed. Everyone let out the breath they'd been holding. "We'll send out the word and prepare the dining hall!" Gristle told Bridget. He bowed over her hand and kissed it before leading Chef and the two guards out, waving over his shoulder at Bridget.

"I can't believe that worked," Poppy said as soon as the doors closed. Branch hummed his agreement, but Poppy faced him accusingly. "And  _you_ ," she said, poking him in the chest. "You had better be careful because so help me, if you get hurt, I will kill you!"

"That's counterproductive," Branch replied, grinning. Poppy smacked his shoulder lightly.

"Okay, Bridget," she said. "Let's do this."

* * *

 "Are you sure you want to do this?" Poppy asked as Branch hopped up into the cage.

"No," he said honestly, frowning at her. "But we don't have any other choice."

"Maybe one of us can stand in for you," Biggie suggested. Branch rolled his eyes.

"Sure, because you all look  _exactly_  like me," he drawled. "I mean, Cooper would be a good choice, right? Or maybe Guy Diamond, or Fuzzbert, or, hey, the twins are good actresses-"

"Okay, we get it," Poppy interrupted. Branch smirked at her before turning serious again. Poppy stared at him, wishing that there was something they could do. He had changed his hair back to its old inky black, but the others refused to let him try to turn gray again. He hadn't put up much of a fight; in fact, he'd seemed almost  _relieved_. Wisely, the other Trolls pretended they hadn't noticed.

It was a risk, but all they could do was pray that nobody noticed that he was now blue. Hopefully, the black hair would help conceal the different color.

"Are you ready?" Poppy asked softly. Branch nodded, his face set in a stubbornly determined mask, and Bridget closed the door. As she turned the key in the lock, Branch smiled at Poppy and gave her a thumbs up. Poppy returned the smile and let Bridget lift her back up to her shoulder. Poppy looked back at Branch once longingly before ducking underneath the rainbow hair to stand beside her friends, who showed their support by bumping her shoulder or patting her arm (or, in Fuzzbert's case, leaning against her leg and humming).

"Are you guys ready?" Bridget's voice drifted up to the Snack Pack.

"Ready!" Poppy called down, scrambling to stand near the front so she could peek out of a gap in the brightly-colored locks. She saw Bridget ever so carefully picking up the cage with Branch inside. Branch smiled at the Bergen gratefully, but Poppy could see the dread in his eyes, muting the brightness of his smile.

_No turning back_ , she thought as Bridget left the room and headed down a long staircase.


	8. Dawn Of A New Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for some blood and threats of violence.

 

 

 

When Bridget entered the dining hall, hardly any of the gathered Bergens looked up from their whispered conversations or even seemed to notice she was there. Poppy could see that Bridget was nervous, but her steps didn't falter and Poppy felt a rush of pride for her friend.

"Lady Glittersparkles!" Gristle called. Bridget and Poppy looked over to see him sitting at a table at the front of the hall. Next to the throne-chair Poppy had seen earlier was a slightly smaller, outrageously pink one obviously meant for his guest. Poppy cringed. She loved pink probably more than the next Troll, but  _none_  of those shades matched and it was quite frankly painful to look at.

Poppy glanced down to see Branch pretending to puke and smothered her laughter at his over-the-top performance. He was such a goofball and she loved him so much.

"Hello," Bridget said nervously, awkwardly sliding into the seat and looking very uncomfortable and all around suspicious. "How, uh, how are you?"

"I'm splendid, thank you. And yourself?" Gristle seemed not to notice his date's unease. That, or he was ignoring it in an effort to be polite.

"Oh, um, good," Bridget stammered. She set down Branch's cage a bit too hard and Branch went sprawling. He scowled at Bridget, brushing himself off, and Bridget blushed and mouthed "Sorry."

Poppy noticed that Gristle was squinting closely at Branch and had a tiny mental freak out; did he notice the different coloring?

"Quick, distract him!" Poppy hissed in Bridget's ear.

"So, uh, nice weather today, yeah?" Bridget asked loudly. Gristle looked up at her, blinking, and Branch mimed hitting his head against the bars repeatedly.

"Yeah, it is," Gristle said. There was a painful pause. "Well, um, glad you could make it this time," Gristle started again. Bridget nodded swiftly, nearly dislodging the Trolls clinging to her hair. Gristle glanced down at Branch before asking nonchalantly, "Hey, do you think there's something sorta… blue… about this Troll?"

"I'm sure it's just the lighting," Bridget said hurriedly. Branch became very interested in something on the other side of the room. When Gristle nodded, looking satisfied, Poppy exhaled, relieved, and patted Bridget's head.

"Nice one," she whispered.

"Settle down, everyone!" Chef's voice called out. Everyone became silent, staring at her expectantly as she paced down the length of the tables towards Gristle, Bridget, and the Trolls. The Snack Pack clustered around Poppy and everyone held their breath. "I'm sure you're all wondering what we're doing here, seeing as there's only one, non edible Troll."

Poppy looked at Branch. He was standing perfectly still, facing the room with his back to Poppy, but she could see his nerves in the straight line of his shoulders, the tenseness of his body, and the way he held his head. She wanted so badly to jump down there and hold his hand, but that would ruin everything. Instead, she turned her attention back to Chef.

"I have made a revolutionary discovery: Trolls forge very strong bonds, and they don't leave any of their own behind, no matter the danger. Using this knowledge and this Troll," Chef grabbed Branch's cage and held it up. "We will lure the rest of them right to us."

"But how?" a Bergen spoke up. Chef grinned cruelly.

"I'm glad you asked," Chef purred. She reached into her pocket and took out a key, which she used to unlock the cage door. Poppy watched, aghast, as Branch scrambled back, away from Chef's hand, but he was trapped. Chef triumphantly pulled him out of the cage, ignoring his squirming. She set the cage down in front of Bridget, who let out a tiny whimper that only Poppy could hear, and pulled a small kitchen knife out of its sheath on her thigh. Poppy squeaked in distress as Branch went still, his wide eyes locked on the knife that Chef twirled in her fingers.

"I know they're here somewhere," Chef said coolly. "So, I'm going to count to ten. If they don't come out by then, I'll cut off one finger for each second they're late," she gestured to Branch with the knife, the blade only inches from his face. "I have been wondering if gray Troll tastes any different, after all."

She examined every face in the silent hall, shifting her grip on Branch so that one of his arms was poking out of her fist and held firmly between her fingers.

"One," she began, untroubled by Branch's desperate struggles. Poppy could only stare in horror as true panic settled on Branch's face. "Two." The knife inched closer and Branch pulled on his arm, nearly popping his elbow out of place in his terror. "Three."

"Poppy, what do we do?!" Biggie shrieked. The others freaked out, calling out to Poppy, pleading for her to do something,  _anything_ , but Poppy was paralyzed, unable to move.

"Six." Chef continued, the knife inching closer with each number. "Seven." Branch jerked away, but the knife was too close and he cut his arm. It started to bleed instantly, even though it only nicked him. Branch stopped struggling and stared at the silver blade, shaking. "Eight."

"Poppy!" the twins cried, grabbing her arms. Poppy snapped out of it when DJ grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly.

"Ten." The knife rested on Branch's hand and Chef got ready to push down when Poppy finally found her voice.

"Stop!" she shouted. Nobody moved as she and the Snack Pack changed their hair back to normal. Branch was staring at them, his eyes wide in his pale face. The cut on his arm was still bleeding sluggishly.

"Lady Glittersparkles?" Gristle asked. "But… how? Why?"

"She didn't think you'd want someone like her," Poppy explained quietly.

"I mean, hello? Is it me you're looking for? I don't think so," Bridget said sadly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Chef snarled. "Idget? What- why-"

"Don't you see?" Bridget said suddenly, turning to the king. "We made each other  _happy_ , and we didn't need to eat a Troll to do it!" The Bergens muttered to each other, looking shocked.

"You mean that's the feeling I had, back in the arcade?" Gristle said. "I just thought I had eaten too much pizza."

"No, that was happiness!" Poppy told him. "Happiness isn't something you put inside you, it's already there! You just need a little help to find it, sometimes," she added, smiling at Branch.

"Can I really be happy?" A female Bergen called out. The others shouted too, looking excited at this new idea.

"No!" Chef broke in, still clutching Branch. She squeezed him tightly and he gasped, choking. "There's only one way to be happy!  _My way_!" She raised the knife and stabbed down and the Trolls screamed.

"No!" Poppy shouted. She jumped, looping her hair around the hand that held Branch, and felt something wrap around her waist and yank. Chef was pulled along and spun, yelping in surprise. She opened her hands automatically and Branch flew out of one, the knife soaring in the other direction. Poppy quickly grabbed Branch with her hair, holding tightly even as she was drawn back towards her friends.

Poppy felt her feet hit the table and straightened, glancing down to see Smidge's bright blue hair unwinding from around her. She gently set Branch down beside her before launching herself at him, snuggling into him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, distraught, and pulled back to search him thoroughly. His arm had stopped bleeding, but she tore a strip off her dress anyway to wrap it up, ignoring Branch's weak protests.

"I'm fine," he said, looking shell-shocked. The others surrounded them, checking Branch over with Poppy and assuring themselves he was okay. Branch didn't fight them, leaning against Poppy and closing his eyes. Poppy gently ran her fingers through his hair, feeling pleased when it began to turn azure at her touch.

"Guards!" Gristle yelled, pointing at Chef. "Capture her! Lock her in the dungeon!"

"No!" Chef wailed, looking crazed. She lunged at the Trolls, but there were just too many guards. They dragged her out of the room, slamming the door behind them and leaving her voice echoing in their wake.

"Is he okay?" Bridget asked Poppy. She nodded, still brushing Branch's hair. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, and Poppy wouldn't have been surprised if he had fainted from blood loss, shock, or both.

"Do you really think we can be happy?" A Bergen spoke up, staring at Poppy.

"Of course I do," she said firmly. "Look at Bridget and the king: they're happy, and they've never tasted a Troll in their lives!"

"It's true," Gristle said. "And from this moment on, the Bergens and the Trolls will live in peace. No more Trollstice!" he cried.

"No more Trollstice!" hundreds of voices cheered as Trolls began pouring out of the chandeliers. "No more Trollstice!" The Bergens joined in. Someone had turned on some music, though Poppy didn't know how, and the Trolls were flooding the room, dancing wildly and getting the Bergens to join in.

"I'm very proud of you," a voice said in Poppy's ear. She looked up at her father and smiled. Peppy patted her shoulder, grinning broadly.

"So am I," Branch spoke up roughly. He sat up, shaking his head, and grinned at her. "Sorry 'bout that," he added. Poppy waved him off before throwing her arms around him in the biggest hug yet.

"Give it up for our new Queen!" Peppy yelled, his voice carrying over the music. Bergens and Trolls alike cheered as he placed the leafy crown on Poppy's head. Stunned, she looked around the room. Bergens and Trolls danced side-by-side, laughing and singing as if they had never been enemies.

"Congratulations," Branch said quietly, taking hold of Poppy's hand and giving her such a genuine, warm smile that she couldn't help but smile back.

It would take a lot of work to truly live in harmony, but Poppy was ready for it. Tomorrow was a new day, after all, and she had Branch.

As the sun rose outside and the party continued, Poppy felt confident that everything would be okay. After all, with Branch at her side, what could go wrong?


	9. The Blueberry Kiss

Poppy sighed and brushed off her hands. It had been one week since Trollstice and the legendary party that had lasted two full days and everyone was starting to come off of the adrenaline rush that had accompanied it to realize that they had a lot of work in front of them.

The Trolls all wanted to move back into the Troll Tree, but they had left everything back in the old village. The Bergens volunteered to help carry pods back and forth, which drastically reduced the travel time and the load for the Trolls, but that was only part of the process.

Poppy had her hands full as she tried to sort out things like food supplies, water, who got to put their pod where (and all the arguments that caused), the logistics of placing too many pods on one branch, and so on down the line until she was close to exploding.

Poppy probably would have cracked under the pressure if it wasn't for her friends and Branch.

The twins put their creativity to practical use, building temporary tents and other shelters for the Trolls that didn't have homes right away. DJ Suki was a great motivator, and Guy Diamond helped her with refreshments and activities to keep spirits up. Smidge did lots of the heavy lifting, Cooper discovered that he was built for pulling carts long distances with very little strain, and Fuzzbert and Biggie helped Poppy mediate in clashes over who claimed what spot.

Branch, though, was the best thing Poppy could have hoped for and more. He led almost every one of the treks to and from the old village, taught the Trolls about how to survive in the wild alone just in case, was an amazing leader who knew where someone would excel and where they wouldn't do so well, and helped Poppy with the construction, as he had a knack for it.

Poppy was grateful for their help, but she was still exhausted and in desperate need of a break. The work was finally coming to a close, and Poppy left her father in charge with the Snack Pack to back him up as she headed to Branch's pod, which was still under construction. The dark blue pod was right next to Poppy's, but hidden in a clump of leaves, which suited Branch just fine. Poppy was pleased with the arrangement as well.

"Hey, Poppy!" Branch called out as Poppy made her way along the path toward him. He smiled at her and she felt butterflies flutter in her stomach.

"Hey, Branch. What's up?" she fell into step beside him.

"Just going to stock up on blueberries," he answered, slowing his pace to let her walk with him and showing her the basket tucked under his arm. Poppy saw the bandage that still covered his cut and glanced away, feeling guilty. "Wanna come?" Branch didn't seem to notice that Poppy had seen his injury.

"Sure," Poppy said happily, pushing the incident out of her mind and bouncing in front of him, leading the way to the blueberry bushes. Branch laughed and sped up.

Branch and Poppy harvested the berries in peaceful silence, occasionally asking a question or two or tossing a particularly good-looking berry to the other to give them a taste. Poppy felt so at ease out here alone with Branch and laughed as he missed the berry she had thrown to him. It smacked him in the face and splattered him with juice. He laughed with her before they went back to picking.

"I think that's good, Poppy," Branch finally called up to her. Poppy swung down from the bush and put the three berries she was holding into Branch's basket, snagging one and popping it into her mouth. "Let's head back."

"Wait," Poppy grabbed Branch's hand. He looked at her, surprised, and Poppy couldn't blame him. She bit her lip.

_You can do this_ , she told herself.  _He's right there. Just kiss him!_

"Poppy-" Branch began, but Poppy lunged forward and smashed her lips against his, cutting him off.

There was a brief pause before Branch responded, kissing her back. Poppy vaguely noticed that his lips tasted like blueberries, but she was more focused on that fact that they were kissing to notice much else.

Branch pulled back, smiling at her, and Poppy sighed dreamily.

"Glad we weren't interrupted again," Branch joked. Poppy giggled and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, dork," she said, picking up the basket of berries. "You taste like blueberries, by the way," she told him, tugging him along. "Blueberries and the forest," she added to herself. Branch just laughed.

"You do realize that means we're dating now, right?" Poppy pointed out. Branch blushed and Poppy laughed.

"You're the queen," he said. They headed back to the Troll Tree, laughing and joking and holding hands.

Poppy had never felt so happy, and, judging by the faint glow coming off of Branch, he hadn't either.

Poppy couldn't wait to see what the future held.

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism is always appreciated!
> 
> I don't own any of the characters that appear in my stories. All rights belong to the creators. I make no profit off of these stories; they are purely for entertainment.
> 
> Title inspired by Pearl Jam's "Better Man." I own nothing (and I highly recommend you check out their music).


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